Boca a boca (1995)

User Rating:

6.7/10   

Director:

Manuel Gómez Pereira

Writers:

Manuel Gómez Pereira (dialogue)
Juan Luis Iborra (writer)

Release Date:

5 September 1997 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Romance

Plot:

For financial reasons an unemployed aspiring actor works for a phone-sex enterprise. One day he receives...

Plot Keywords:

Phone Sex | Actor | Erotica | Screwball Comedy | Spanish

Awards:

7 wins & 10 nominations

Cast

Javier Bardem	...	Víctor Ventura
Aitana Sánchez-Gijón	...	Amanda (as Aitana Sanchez-Gijon)
Josep Maria Flotats	...	Bill / Ricardo
María Barranco	...	Angela (as Maria Barranco)
Myriam Mézières	...	Sheila Crawford
Jordi Bosch	...	Belvedere
Tres Hanley	...	Debra Reynolds (as Trés Hanley)
Alastair Mackenzie	...	Oswaldo (as Sam MacKenzie)
Kiti Manver	...	Lucy
Fernando Guillén Cuervo	...	Raúl
Amparo Baró	...	Madre de Raúl
Emilio Gutiérrez Caba	...	David
Asunción Balaguer	...	Madre de Luci
Germán Cobos	...	Padre de Luci
Saturnino García	...	Padre de Victor

Also Known As:

Boca a acob (Spain) (approximation of original mirrored title)
Mouth to Mouth

MPAA:

Rated R for sexuality and language.

Runtime:

106 min | Germany:103 min (cut version) | Argentina:106 min (Mar del Plata Film Festival)

Country:

Spain

Language:

Spanish

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Australia:M | Singapore:R(A) (cut) | France:U | Germany:12 (cut) | Germany:16 | Spain:13 | USA:R | Argentina:13

Filming Locations:

Madrid, Spain

Company:

Bocaboca Producciones

Movie Connections:

References Taxi Driver (1976)

Soundtrack:

Aunque siempre llueva

Spain's take on Hollywood's take on Spain

The director tries for an outrageous sex comedy in the manner of Almavodar, but comes up with a mild screwball amusement. Javier Bardem is neither sexy nor amusing, although he tries very hard. He's not a funny guy. One central plot line revolves around a closeted gay man whose wife is having an affair with his business partner. The character is a sad reminder of the tormented closet homosexuals from movies of the 60s (e.g., William Windom in "The Detective"). Even in a farce, the character must be remotely believable. Is it possible that in the enlightened Spain of the 1990s, such a pitiful creature could still exist? Even in a farce, the premise must be believable.

Another plot line involves Bardem trying to get a part in an American movie and become an international superstar. The satire regarding the American view of Spanish men is obvious and puerile. It's meant for hip Spanish twenty-somethings so they can knowingly smirk about the superiority of Spanish culture to that of Hollywood. But the slapstick is mere juvenilia, without much genuine humor. The American view of Spanish men as hot Latin lovers went out with the death of Valentino (yes, I know, he was Italian, but Americans don't know the difference--therein lies something to satirize).